1 part Boston, 5 parts Water

In need to express my extreme disdain for this guy selling his Boston Marathon bib on e-bay (message board threads discussing the issue can be found here and here). Where does this guy get off doing this? Why doesn't everyone that has run a qualifying time just sign up for $100 then turn it around and sell it for $400 on e-bay?!?!? The answer: people respect Boston.

The reason that the Boston Marathon is so prestigious is that people have to qualify for it. In a world that is bent on accepting mediocrity as a norm, Boston is that constant that keeps people striving for something more. I see this as a slap in the face to all those people who have trained for 2, 5, 10+ years to qualify for Boston. I really hope that he gets busted by the BAA and they never let him run Boston ever again.

This is a problem that is something bigger than one guy selling his Boston number to a potentially under qualified participant. Boston reportedly gives out 1,500 bibs to charity runners every year. These are runners that have not actually qualified for the event. According to marathonguide.com there were 340 marathons run in the US in 2007. That leaves 339 marathons for charity runners to chose from that don't have standards like Boston does. Why don't these runners get held to the same standards as the thousands of other runners?

The BAA should still give out charity numbers but with the stipulation that those who receive them have run an official Boston qualifier. I, by no means, disagree with the concept or generosity of running for a charity and I definitely think these people train hard and strive to do their best at the event they chose, whether it is a marathon, Ironman or local 10k. However, I think Boston should be kept to those who qualify.

Here is a quick cure I have for the issue. The BAA decides on a specific number of entrants that will get a waiver on the qualifying time. Let's just say it is 100 people. These 100 people would be taken out of a pool of applicants that have to fill out an application for the waiver with the reasons why they want to run Boston, etc. This would allow certain charity runners, celebrities, people with compelling stories or even politicians to run and avoid having to qualify. The BAA can then use these runners in ads, seminars, etc. to promote the select few that are accepted in to the the program. It would become prestigious to receive this "award" and they could wear special bibs at the race or even a special uniform. This would help to keep Boston exclusive and give these people the chance to raise money and still run. A group could even pool their money to help make a more convincing case for their charity to receive one of these prestigious spots.

In the end my point is simple. The Boston Marathon stands for the peak of excellence in marthoning. Boston gives the average Joe/Jane the opportunity to strive for something other than finishing. By allowing under qualified runners in to the race is a serious issue that undermines the entire qualifying procedure. To make matters worse there are qualifiers that feel like taking upon themselves to sell or give their bibs to people who couldn't otherwise get one. We need to keep the races like Boston to save our sport from falling in to complete mediocrity.